Nut-cracking machine.



Patented Feb. 27, IQQO.

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

n w M 7M w /.0 N. NNN WH a m n e (No Model.) I

No. 644,485; 4 Patented Feb. 2-7, I900.

n. E. woonsmL 4 NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1897.) (N 6m 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Z T Z Z No. 644,485. Patented Feb. 27, I900. R. E. WOODSON.

NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

' 1 (Application filed Jan. 18, 1897.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Ii JiZE 4 d6 3 0 352;? 19 v av day No. 644,485. Patented Feb. 27,19uo;

-" n. E. woonsou.

NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jan. 18 1897. j

UNITED STATES 'FATENT Gr mes.

- nonnnr E. wooDsoN, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

NUT-CRACKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,485, dated February27, 1906.

Application filed JanuarylB, 1897. Serial No. 619,691. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. WooDsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Nut- Cracking Machines,of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a machine for cracking edible nuts, theconstruction of the machine being such that the nuts are fedantomatically and the cracking accomplished by a series of jaws to whichthe nuts are fed from a suitable hopper.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a top view of the machine. Fig.II illustrates a section taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. IIIillustrates a section taken on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a sideelevation of the machine. Fig. V is an enlarged detail top view of oneof the feed-shuttles. Fig. VI is a side View of the jaws open. Fig. VIIillustrates a vertical section taken in part on line VII VII, Fig. IX,showing the cracking-jaws in forward position in the act of cracking anut. Fig. VIII is a view illustrating the shuttle partially retractedafter receiving a nut to be cracked. Fig. IX is a detail top view of oneof the adjusting-jaws and its locking and tripping device. Fig. X isaface view of the parts shown in Fig. IX. Fig. XI illustrates a verticalsection taken on line XI XI, Fig. X. Fig. XII illustrates an enlargedcrosssection through a portion of the feed-shuttles, the shuttle-jawsbeing closed. Fig. XIII illustrates an enlarged cross-section of one ofthe feed-shuttles in open position. Figs. XIV and XV are respectively alongitudinal section' of the machine and a plan.

In the drawings, 1 designates the frame of the machine, supported bylegs 2.

3 designates the master-wheel,driven by a drive-pulley 4 on a shaft 5,from which connection is had to the master-wheel by a crank 6 and pitman7.

8 8 designate screw-rods journaled in the frame 1, that at respectiveends are provided with right and left threads.

9 9 are cross-bars the ends of which are bored and tapped with right andleft screwthreads corresponding to the right and left screw-threads ofthe rods 8 upon which they operate. By the employment of the right andleft screw-threads the cross-bars 9 9 are caused to travel to and fromeach other on the turning of the rods 8. The rods 8 are operated throughmeans of pinions 10 10 upon their ends, which pinions mesh with theteeth of the master-wheel 3. It will be seen that as the master-wheel isgreater in circumferential diameter with relation to the length of thecrank 6 the movement of the crank 6 will only cause the master-wheel totravel a portion of arevolution, when its direction of travel will bereversed, thereby imparting to the master-wheel an oscillatory insteadof a revolving movement. Thus it is that the rods 8 are turnedalternately first in one direction and then the other, causing thecrossbars 9 9 to alternately move toward and from each othercontinuously.

The cross-bar 9 carries jaws 11, the ends of which are provided withconcave months 12 of a suitable shape and dimension to each receive oneof the ends of the nuts to be cracked. These jaws are provided withlongitudinal bores 13.

14 are plungers attached to the frame 1 of the machine and workingthrough the crossbar 9 and through the bores 13 for the purpose ofdischarging from the mouths of the jaws any particles of shells thatmaybecome lodged therein.

15 designates jaws carried by the cross-bar 9, the outer members ofwhich are provided with concave mouths 16, similar to the mouths 12 ofthe jaws 11. The jaws 15 are loosely connected to their shanks 17,carried on the cross-bar 9 Each jaw 15 is composed of members 18 19, themember 19 of which is the portion that is provided with thenut-receiving mouth 16. The member 18 is connected to the shank 17 bymeans of a screw 20, the point of which enters and is adapted to move ina groove 21 in the shank 17, thereby permitting a limited movement ofthe member 18 upon the shank. The outer end of the member 18 is reducedin size and formed into a circular knife 22, that in normal positionlies at the base of the mouth 16 of the member 19, but is arranged toprotrude into said mouth in the action of cracking a nut for the purposeof cutting the shell. The member 19 is connected to the member 18 bymeans of .a slot-and-pin connection 23, thereby providing for a limitedmovement of the member 19 upon the member 18, and said member 19 isbacked by a coil-spring 24, whose oflice is to return the member 19 toits normal position.

designates plungers, one end of each of which is attached to the frame 1of the machine and the opposite ends of which pass through the crossbar9 and through bores in the shank 17 and members of the jaw 15. Theforward ends of these plungers are reduced in size, forming shoulders26, that bear against shoulders in the bore of the member 18 and returnsaid member to its forward position on the return movement of the jawsafter the operation of the machine in the act of cracking nuts, the endsof the plungers at the same time moving into the months 16 of the jawsand expelling any particles of shell that may have become lodgedtherein.

The member 18 of the jaw 15 carries upon its sides studs or projections27.

2S designates a shaft journaled in posts 29, carried upon the cross-bar9. This shaft is provided at one end with a drive-pulley 30, and rigidlymounted upon it are toothed wheels 31. The pulley is preferably drivenby a belt running upon a counter-shaft pulley located above the machine,which is not shown, but the arrangement of which is readily conceived.

32 designates rocking bars pivoted to the shanks 17 of the jaws 15 bybolts or pins 33. The pivot-pin openings 34 in the rocking bars areelongated, allowing for a limited movement of the rocking bars upontheir pivots. The inner ends of the rocking bars are provided with hooks35, that are arranged to engage the studs 27 upon the movable members 18of the nutcracking jaws 15. The opposite ends of the rocking bars areprovided with toothed segments 36, that stand free from engagement withthe toothed wheels 31 when the jaws 15 are in their forward position andthe hooks 35 are in engagement with the studs 27; but in the act ofcracking nuts between the jaws 11 and 15 pressure of the larger nutsagainst the jaws 15 carries said jaws backward, in which movement therocking bars 32 are carried the distance permitted by the elongatedopenings 34 of their pivots, moving them from the position shown in Fig.VI to that shown in Fig. VII. The shaft 28 being constantly in motion,as soon as the rocking levers 32 are moved into the position shown inFig. VII the teeth of the segments 36 come into engagement with theteeth of the wheels 31, and the result is that the outer ends of therocking bars are thrown downward and the hooks 35 are raised andreleased from engagement with the studs 27.

37 designate springs, one end of each of which is connected to thecross-bars 9 and the opposite end connected to studs 38 on the rockingbars 32. These springs serve to draw the rocking bars forward on theirbeing released from engagement with the toothed wheels 31.

The object of the arrangement just described is to permit the crackingof nuts of various sizes or lengths with equal facility without mashingthe larger or longer nuts, which would be the result if the jaws 11 and15 were both rigid.

39 designates chutes 0r slideways through which the nuts are conveyedsingly from a suitable hopper to the cracking-jaws.

4O designates a shuttle-bar the upper surface of which is provided withnut-receiving pockets 4l,arranged beneath the nu t-cracking jaws. Theshuttle-bar 40 is supported upon rods 42, attached to the cross-bar 9,around which rods and between the shuttle-bar and cross-bar 9 are spiralsprings 43, the tendency of which is to press the shuttle-bar forward.

44 designates pins carried by the cross-bar 9. The pins act to retractthe shuttle-bar as the jaws approach each other, as will be hereinafterdescribed.

45 designates a dog pivoted at 46 to the under side of the cross-bar 9,the forward end of this dog being provided with a hook 47, and its heel48 is weighted to give it an increased gravitating tendency over theforward hook end of the dog. Bearing against the heel of the dog is aset-screw 49, inserted in the frame 1 of the machine. This screw isarranged to limit the downward movement of the heel 48.

Assuming the shuttle-bar to be in the position shown in Figs. I and VI,inwhich the jaws are apart and ready to receive a series of nuts to becracked, the machine being put in motion by power applied to thedrive-pulley 4, the master-wheel 3 is rotated and the cross-bars 9 9 arecaused to travel toward each other, carrying the cracking-jaws withthem. As the nuts are engaged in the mouths of the jaws the pins 44strike the shuttle-bar 40, pressing said bar backward against the actionof the springs 42, which movement of the shuttle-bar continues until thecatch 47 of the dog 45 passes the forward edge of the shuttle and,rising, engages and holds said bar. While the shuttle is being moved,the cracking of the nuts is proceeding between the jaws. As the jawscome together the springs 24 back of the jaw members 19 permit saidmembers to recede, which places the knives 22 in the mouths 16 of thejaws 15, and these knives cut into the ends of the-nuts and render thecracking of the nuts thorough. In receding the members 19 of the jawspress against the members 18 and. cause the studs 27 to throw therocking bars 32 backward the distance of the elongated openings 34 oftheir pivots, when the segments 36 of the rocking bars coming in contactwith the toothed wheels 31 the hooks are disengaged from the studs 27and both members 18 and 19 of the jaws 15 are permitted to recedetogether, thereby preventing the cracked'nut being mashed between thejaws. The movement of the cross-bars 9 9 is just sufficient toaccomplish the cracking of the nuts between the jaws, and as soon asthis is accomplished the master-wheel reverses and rotates in theopposite direction, moving the cross-bars apart, during which action theplungers 14 and 25, moving into the mouths of the j aws,discharge anyparticles of shell lodged therein, and as the cross-bar 9 moves backwardthe heel 48 of the dog is brought into contact with the set-screw 49 andthe dog is tripped, releasing the shuttle-bar 40 and permitting it to becarried forward by the springs 42 to its position beneath and betweenthe ends of the nutcracking jaws, ready for the reception of anotherseries of nuts to be cracked.

50 and 50" designate bars extendinglengthwise of the machine across andabove the nut-cracking jaws and the nut-receiving shuttles 41. Thesebars are connected at their ends by means of rocker-arms 51, pivoted tocross-bars 52. The forked end of the bar 50 next the driving-pulley 4carries a roller 50", with which a cam 4, carried by the rim of thepulley 4, is adapted to engage on each revolution of the driving-pulley4.

53 is a spring connected to the bar 50 and to one of the cross-bars 52,through means of which the bar 50 is normally held with its roller endprojected toward the driving-pulley. Connected to the bars 50 and 50 aredished jaws 54. These jaws are made in sections, one half of each jawbeing formed upon the bar 50 and the other half on the bar 50 in such amanner that when the sections of the jaws are brought into contact witheach other they abut against each other, forming a dish in which thenuts are received singly as they fall from the hopper through the chutesor slideways 39. On each revolution of the driving-pulley4 the cam 4striking the roller 50 of the rod 50, causes the rods 50 and 50 to bemoved in opposite directions by reason of their rocker-arm con nection,and the nuts received into the dished jaws 54 fall into the shuttles 41as the sections of the jaws 54 are separated, and thus but a single nutat a time is allowed to fall into each shuttle 41 I claim as myinvention-- 1. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of movablejaw-carriers, nut-cracking jaws supported by said carriers, areciprocating shuttle-bar carried by one of said jawcarriers arranged toreceive the nuts to be cracked by said jaws, and springs arranged in therear of said shuttle-bar adapted to project said bar forwardly;substantially as described.

2. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of movable jaw-carriers,nut-cracking jaws supported by said carriers, a reciprocatingshuttle-bar arranged to receive the nuts to be cracked by said jaws, andsprings arranged in the rear of said shuttle-bar to project said barforwardly, means for retracting said shuttle-bar and means for holdingit when retracted; substantially as described.

3. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of nut-cracking jawssuitably supported and arranged to be moved to and from each other, ashuttle-bar arranged to receive the nuts to be cracked by said jaws,means for retracting said shuttle-bar, and a pivoted dog arranged toengage and hold said shuttle-bar when retracted, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of a supporting-frame,cross-bars arranged to be moved to and from each other, nut-crackingjaws carried by said cross-bars, a shuttle-bar carried by one of saidcrossbars arranged to receive the nuts to be cracked by said jaws,springs arranged .to press said shuttle-bar forward, pins carried by theopposing cross bar arranged to carry said shuttle-bar backward, a dogpivoted to said first-mentioned cross-bar, and provided with a hookadapted to engage said shuttle-bar, and a heel adapted to be tripped onthe back Ward movement of said cross-bars, substantially as described.

5. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of a jaw having a shank, amember loosely mounted on said shank, a nut-receiving member looselymounted on said firstmentioned member, and a spring located in the rearof said nut-receiving member, and an opposing jaw adapted to approachand recede from said first-mentioned jaw, substan* tially as described.

6. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of a jaw having a shank, amember loosely mounted on said shank, a nut-receiv ing member looselymounted on said firstmentioned member, a circular knife carried by saidfirst-mentioned member arranged to enter said nut-receiving member, anda spring located in the rear of said nut-receivingmemher, and anopposing jaw adapted to approach and recede from said first-mentionedjaw, substantially as described.

7. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of a jaw having a shank, areciprocally-movable member carried by said jaw, a rocking bar arrangedto engage and retain said movable member, a spring arranged to controlsaid rocking bar, and a means for tripping said rocking bar to releaseit from engagement, and an opposing jaw; substantially as described.

8. In a nut-cracking machine, the combi= Y nation of a jaw, a second andmovably-mount-- ed jaw, means for retaining said second jaw, and meanswhereby said second jaw is released from the exertion of forwardpressure when pressure is brought thereagainst in the act of cracking anut; substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of a jaw having a shank, asupport for said shank, a movable member on said shank, a pivotedrocking bar, a hook carried by said rocking bar adapted to engage saidmovable member, a toothed segment on the opposite end of said rockingbar, and a pinion carried on said jaw-shank support arranged to engagesaid segment, substantially as described.

10. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of jaws having shanks, asupport for said shanks, movable members on said shanks, pivoted'rockingbars, hooks carried by said rocking bars adapted to engage said movablemembers, toothed segments on the opposite ends of said rocking bars, ashaft mounted on said jaw-shank support, means for operating said shaft,and pinions carried by said shaft arranged to engage the segments ofsaid rocking bars, substantially as described.

11. In a nut cracking machine, a jaw, and a circular knife centrallylocated in said jaw forming a part thereof adapted to cut the shell ofthe nut in the act of cracking it and an opposing jaw; substantially asdescribed.

12. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of ajaw provided with amovable yielding member, and a circular knife arranged to be projectedthrough said movable member in the act of cracking a nut for the purposeof cutting the shell of said nut, and an opposing jaw adapted toapproach and recede from said first-mentioned jaw, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a nut-cracking machine, the combination of oppositely-arrangedreciprocating bars, sectional dished nut-receiving jaws carried by saidreciprocating bars, a roller carried by one of said reciprocating bars,and a cam carried by the driving mechanism of the machine arranged tostrike said fork for the purpose of operating said bars, substantiallyas described.

14. In a nut'crackiug machine, a jaw comprising an inner member, anouter looselymounted nut-receiving member carried by said inner member,and an opposingjaw; substantially as described.

15. In a nut-cracking machine, a jaw having a reciprocally-mounted innermember, and an outer nut-receiving member loosely mounted on said innermember, means for permitting the yielding and causing the return of saidouter member, and an opposing jaw; substantially as described.

ROBERT E. W'OODSON.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, N. FINLEY.

